UNP @ DEVELOPMENT

The Mahaweli project – testament to UNP’s political will and commitment

to Nation’s progress

From time immemorial our ancestors have used the water resources to develop our irrigation system. The Kala Weva, Parakrama Samudraya, Tissa Weva, Basawakkulama,

Thopa Weva, Elahera canal, Jaya Ganga and many others bear testimony to the irrigation development achievements of our civilization.

Similarly, right down history the need to harness the Mahaweli waters flowing into the sea for National development was also long felt. Our ancestors for the first time tried to use the Mahaweli waters to boost paddy cultivation during the first century after Christ, as stated in our ‘Wangsa’ stories.

Mahaweli River

Hon. Dudley Senanayake

UNP @ DEVELOPMENT

It was in 1969, a system to harness the Mahaweli waters for National development was inaugurated. The long time people’s earnest ambition to harness the Mahaweli water for development was at last fulfilled by the United National party (UNP), when the Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake launched this gigantic project daring all odds. The full credit and honor must go to the then P.M. Late Dudley Senanayake and former Minister of the UNP, D.P. De Silva who was the Minister of lands, irrigation, power and energy at that time.A group of experts of the United Nations Development program (UNDP) and the World Food and Agriculture presented the Mahaweli development blueprint to the SL Govt. in 1969. On the basis of the blueprint, the Mahaweli project was to be in three phases and be completed in 30 years.

Late Dudley Senanayake under his leadership as the Prime Minister wasted no time, and began negotiations immediately with the World Bank to secure aid in this direction. The negotiations were so successful that the World Bank agreed to grant the loan for the commencement of the prodigious and ambitious Mahaweli development project, and a pact was signed.

On the 28th of February 1970, at an auspicious time, the Late Dudley Senanayake laid the foundation stone with his own hands at Polgolla, Kandy inaugurating the Mahaweli development program formally.

However, unfortunately, in May 1970 the United Front (UF) Alliance Govt. was installed in power. The alliance which constituted of the SLFP, along with Lanka Samasamaja (LSSP) and Communist (CP) left oriented parties viewed this National development program which could boost the economy and make a major contribution to country’s development with a ‘squint’ eye, thereby subordinating the all important national interests to parochial selfish party interests. As a result, the UF alliance postponed the development

UNP @ DEVELOPMENT

project on the false pretext that the pact signed by the UNP with the World Bank was a betrayal.

Fortunately for the country and the Nation, the UNP was returned to power with a 5 /6 th majority in 1977. This served as a boon to the entire nation, as it enabled the Mahaweli accelerated development program to be commenced under the leadership of the Late President JR Jayawardena. Late Gamini Dissanayake who was appointed as the Minister of Irrigation, energy and Highways undertook to shoulder the full responsibility cast on him by the Nation to complete this colossal Mahaweli accelerated development program.

The UNP which duly discerned the Victoria Dam as the e preliminary step in respect of the Mahaweli development accelerated program, constructed this Dam. The latter facilitated the supply of water to a vast area which covered an extent of 200,000 acres. This Dam was constructed about four miles away from the Taldeniya Town.

The Victoria Dam

Hon. Gamini Dissanayake

UNP @ DEVELOPMENT

The Victoria diversion enabled the water flow via the Mahaweli ganga by the erection of the gigantic Dam. This is the SL’s tallest Dam measuring 338 feet high and 1400 feet long. A sluice gate at its middle comprises four parts, each 30 feet high and with a 50 foot base.

The Victoria Dam nourished a land area of 730 square miles and could store four lakhs 15000 cubic acres of water. The

water supplied by the dam for irrigation purposes annually is 926 000 cubic acres. The power grid which was constructed in conjunction with it could produce 370 megawatts of electricity!

The Mahaweli water collected by the Victoria dam were diverted to the paddy fields through the Minipe canals. To facilitate this diversion of the Mahaweli tide to the Minipe canals, a new canal was constructed 500 feet below. The streams built on the Southern bank of the Canal helped in the cultivation and in the harvest of paddy fields on 73600 acres of land on both sides of the canal.

Likewise, the Yoda canal on the Southern Bank of Minipe diverted the Mahaweli water collected by the Victoria Dam to cultivate 200,000 acres of land in Mahiyanagana and Maduru Oya.

UNP @ DEVELOPMENT

It is believed that because the Yoda canal and the Ulhitiya Oya are joined to the Dam, the amount of water that can be collected is immense. The reservoir had the capacity to develop 10,000 acres of land.

Because of the UNP’s bold and far sighted decision to design the Mahaweli development project to develop human resources, massive job opportunities were generated. Consequent upon this employment boom the economy of the country thrived. The affluence of the people grew by leaps and bounds.

This project and concept which never received the attention of other Govts. formed by other parties, made the UNP stand out in history as the only party which harnessed the hitherto untapped vast natural resources of the country for the benefit of the people. The giant projects made the country’s economy blossom on a scale never before witnessed in SL.

To the dismay of all, the subsequent leftist prone Govts. could not develop these projects to their full potential, whereby the miraculous fruits of the UNP’s labors were wasted. Not only the Mahaweli, but even the other giant projects ad programs of the UNP got stuck without progress. Lack of resourcefulness, vitality and patriotic interests took toll of the country.

The former leader of the UNP, Late JR Jayawardena who launched a new economic order for the country fuelled by the mammoth projects and programs, the UNP initiated, opened the eyes and minds of all to the growth and development achieved by other countries by introducing the open economic policies to SL which proved a tremendous success. JR

Hon. J R Jayawardena

UNP @ DEVELOPMENT

Jayawardena made SL which was considered a puny Island with a feeble economy into a giant viable economy capable of matching other economically successful countries in the world.

It is very unfortunate that the left prone Govts. Which came to power after 1994, however could not take advantage of the policies and programs initiated by the UNP. By continuously following retrograde policies and parochial ‘chintana’ concepts they turned the clock back on SL’s economic plans, programs and country’s development. The present economic impasse is part and parcel of these failures.